Noodles Romanoff

Chef’s Notes: When I lived in Virginia, there was a diner that served the best barbeque chicken I’ve ever had, and a crazy-good side dish called Noodles Romanoff – noodles with a garlicky, cheesy, sour creamy sauce.

I’ve tried many recipes in an attempt to duplicate those Noodles Romanoff, and nothing even came close. So when I found this recipe, I was skeptical. Especially since the “cheese” is the orange powder from a box of mac ‘n’ cheese. Nevertheless, I decided to try it. And…surprise!…this is about the closest I’ve come yet to Virginia.

I made the recipe almost exactly as written. I eliminated the onion, used a bit more garlic and orange powder, and added a splash of milk because it was rather thick. I also cut the recipe yield.

This won’t win any awards, but it’s pretty darn tasty.

Noodles Romanoff

Noodles Romanoff
Serves 2

2 C. dry extra wide egg noodles
1/2 T. butter
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 C. sour cream
2 T. orange powder from a mac ‘n’ cheese box mix (half the package)
2 T. shredded Parmesan cheese (the fresh stuff, not the powdered stuff)
2 T. milk
2 T. fresh parsley
Fresh cracked pepper

Cook noodles to desired doneness. While the noodles are cooking, sauté the garlic in the butter in a medium saucepan. When the noodles are cooked, drain and add to the garlic butter mixture. Stir in the sour cream, orange powder, Parmesan cheese, and milk. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring often, until warmed through. Stir in parsley and sprinkle with pepper.

Mexican Chicken Roulade

Chef’s Notes: I confess. I love to stuff stuff in chicken breasts. I should have a whole blog category devoted to the recipes in which I’ve stuffed stuff in chicken breasts. This is another one to add to that list.

A filling of tomatoes, green chiles, corn, and pepper jack cheese stuffed into a chicken breast that is then breaded with a cornmeal/taco seasoning mixture. An explosion of cheesy-spicy deliciousness. Indeed.

Mexican Chicken Roulade

4 boneless chicken breasts (2)
3/4 C. Ro*tel tomatoes and green chiles
1/4 C. frozen corn
2 T. black olives
4 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, cut into four 1-ounce sticks
1 egg, whisked
2 T. cornmeal
2 tsp. taco seasoning mix

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pound each chicken breast as thinly as possibly. Combine the Ro*tel, corn, and olives; divide the mixture evenly onto each chicken breast. Place one cheese stick on each chicken breast, then roll up the chicken breast as tightly and evenly as possible, tucking in the edges. Put the egg in a shallow dish. Combine the cornmeal and taco seasoning and place in a separate shallow dish. Dip each chicken breast into the egg and then coat with the cornmeal/seasoning mixture. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes.

Cranberry Pear Pie

Chef’s Notes: This is one of my must-haves for Thanksgiving. I don’t remember where I originally found the recipe but it’s been a favorite for several years. I usually make it with a lattice top crust but this year I tried a crumb topping.

Cranberry Pear Pie

Cranberry Pear Pie
Yields 8 slices

Pastry for single 9-inch pie

Filling
4 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cubed (should yield about 4 cups)
2 C. fresh cranberries
1/2 C. maple syrup
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water

Topping
1/2 C. flour
1/4 C. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
5 T. cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 C. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a pie pan with pastry; trim and flute edges. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine pears, cranberries, and maple syrup. Heat until gently boiling, stirring constantly, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until cranberries begin to pop. Combine cornstarch and water and stir into the simmering cranberry/pear mixture. Cook one minute more. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To prepare the crumb topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in walnuts.

Pour cooled filling into prepared pie shell and sprinkle with topping. Cover edges of crust loosely with foil. Bake for 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on wire rack.

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I couldn’t get a decent picture (bad lighting since I finished baking at midnight!), so I found this one on google.

Elvis Muffins (peanut butter/banana/chocolate chip)

Chef’s Notes: On Halloween, a friend and I were discussing candies we have known and loved. She mentioned a limited release treat that honored the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll: Elvis Reese’s Cups.

When trying to decide on a muffin for a late-Saturday-morning brunch, I remembered that conversation, and wondered if the same candy bar ingredient combo would work in a muffin. I googled, found this recipe, and discovered a yumlicious treat!

I made the recipe exactly as written, except that I divided it into half. I still had 12 muffins. Apparently the 12 muffins indicated in the original recipe refer to the monstrous 3000-calorie bakery-style muffins. I also used a cinnamon-sugar topping instead of putting cinnamon in the batter.

Elvis Muffins

Elvis Muffins
Makes 12 (normal-sized) muffins

1 1/4 C. flour
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 C. mashed banana (about 2 very ripe bananas)
1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. peanut butter
2 T. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1/2 C. chocolate chips

Topping:
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put paper liners in muffin tin.

In a large bowl, put together, flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt; combine.

In another mixing vessel combine mashed bananas, milk, peanut butter, egg, oil, and vanilla; mix well. Add this to the dry mixture previously prepared; mix just enough to combine. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Combine the sugar and cinnamon for topping and sprinkle onto muffin batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

A few days later, I made a second batch with homemade cashew butter and white chocolate chips. Completely different flavor, but still delish!

Cheesy Tuna Casserole

Chef’s Notes: Once upon a time, I was a newlywed and mac ‘n’ cheese box mix cost 10/$1…so I learned 50 ways to jazz up that noodles-and-orange-stuff! Now, I’m divorced, mac ‘n’ cheese box mix costs more than 10 cents, but there are still days when this recipe just feels like comfort (even though it breaks just about every dietary rule I try to abide by!)

I’ve gourmeted it a wee bit – whole wheat macaroni, organic cream of mushroom soup (which has pronounceable ingredients and some great spices), albacore tuna, portabella mushrooms…but, really, it’s still trash food.

Cheesy Tuna Casserole

Cheesy Tuna Casserole
Serves 6

1 box Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Macaroni and Cheese Dinner Mix
1 can Health Valley Organic Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 C. milk
1 3-oz. can + 1 5 oz. can Starkist Albacore Tuna
1 C. fresh portabella mushrooms, chopped
1 C. frozen peas-and-carrots
1 C. shredded smoked Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni noodles according to box directions. In a casserole dish, combine drained noodles, the cheese packet, and the rest of the ingredients except the shredded cheese. Stir to combine. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Bake 30 minutes.